Publishers Weekly - Publisher's Weekly
A fifth-grade election at a Latino school in California pits a pair of earnest girls against a pair of clownish boys. Characters from Soto's The Skirt, The Pool Party and Boys at Work reappear here. Ages 8-12. (Dec.)
Kirkus Reviews
Miata (The Skirt, 1992) is running for class president against Rudy and Alex (Boys at Work, 1995), but her campaign to beautify the school has less natural appeal than the boys' endearingly goofy promises of more recess and ice cream. It's hard for Miata to campaign against someone who's so good-natured, and she and Rudy are always being thrown together: as volunteers for a visiting magician, racing turtles at the zoo, or dancing at a quinceañera. This is a pleasant, fluid novel about nice kids in a nice school with nice parents and nice friends. The tension over the election is mild and ultimately thrown away: Miata wins by two votes, cast by Alex and Rudy because they want to go out for soccer instead. Lightweight.
SEPTEMBER 2013 - AudioFile
Fifth-grader Miata Ramirez and her running mate, Ana, decide to challenge class clown Rudy and his friend, Alex, for the office of student body president. Barrie Kreinik’s capable narration of this school tale pleases as she smoothly transitions from unobtrusive narrative to original portrayals of determined Miata, shy Ana, brash Rudy, and his cutup sidekick, Alex. This production offers an engaging look at school politics and the quest for popularity, along with the dynamics of boy/girl relationships. (Miata and Ana’s school beautification platform contrasts sharply with her opponents’ “longer recesses and more ice cream” agenda.) Whether bringing to life the story’s lively dialogue or weaving in Spanish expressions that create the children’s everyday world, Kreinik makes the most of Soto’s engaging story. J.C.G. © AudioFile 2013, Portland, Maine
